In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing and automatically feeding onto a tire building drum pairs of beads preferably, but not exclusively, of the type described and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/624,421, filed concurrently with the present Application, the content of which is fully incorporated herein by reference, and which relates to an automotive tire bead consisting of a substantially circular-section annular element formed from a continuous metal wire, usually a continuous metal cable, wound in such a manner as to form a number of packed coils. Said coils are arranged over the substantially circular section of said annular element according to a predetermined law, program or sequence and are held together by an outer flexible packing member of heat-shrinkable material coiled or wound about said annular element.